Again a Shetland Month
Reporting Days: 31
Location: Shetland (south end of)
Distance Walked: 209 km
Distance Driven: 676 km
Number of Days which included a walk on Quendale Beach: 31
Auks Spotted: Lots of guillemots, lots of razorbills and a few black guillemots
Quendale Beach
It's good to have a daily routine, this month the routine has been to start the day with a walk on Quendale beach (sometimes with another walk on Quendale beach later too). It's always different - the light changes, the tide changes, the sand gets moved around and different flotsam get blown in from south.
Return of the light
When I came back to Shetland in January there really wasn't a lot of light around - it was particularly noticeable in the afternoon (when it seemed to get dark just as I finished my post-lunch snooze), through to the end of March when the clocks changed and a walk after dinner became an option.
Return of the razorbills
First they return to the water around Sumburgh Head, and onto the cliffs then into the nests. Always a delight to see them return in the Spring.
Reading and listening
Book of the Month: Music as Medicine / Daniel Levitin. The potential (and power, perhaps) of music to reduce stress, enhance cognitive function and maybe even help slow the development of Parkinson's symptoms. And there's a splendid 200+ song playlist too.
Audiobook of the Month: The Great Auk / Tim Birkhead. The fascinating (and at times shameful) story of the biggest auk.
Next Month
Traveling South. And then some more South.
